Church in Europe
(Bratislava) – Slovakia will have a new Blessed – Anna Kolesarova, a young girl who was shot dead by a Soviet soldier during World War II because she wanted to protect her innocence and decided to die rather than lose it. She became a martyr of the faith. Her beatification will take place in Kosice on 1 September 2018. “It is the story of a girl who protected her chastity even with the price of her life. She found the strength to say ‘no’ to sin, which was the result of her deep faith. She is the proof that God’s mercy is very fruitful in the hearts of simple people, for it makes them capable of becoming martyrs”, says Juraj Jurica, vice-postulator of the cause of beatification. Anna Kolesarova’s example has inspired thousands of young people in Slovakia and many of them keep coming on “pilgrimages of joy” to her native village in the eastern part of the country. They commemorate Anna´s bravery and deep faith, discuss the importance of seeing the human body as something valuable, and decide to live in chastity until they get married. Anna Kolesarova is the first lay person in Slovakia to be beatified. “Our young people have someone to refer to and ask for intercession, so that they are guided safely on their journey to happy marriages and healthy families. Faith is the gift through which true love is born”, adds Fr. Pavol Hudak, rector of the House of Anna Kolesarova in Pavlovce nad Uhom, pointing to the fact that Anna’s testimony is about self-respect and moral values.
